LVT(A)-1A "Crocodile"

[Old Wombat]

As mentioned above, & of (almost) no relevance to this build, except to explain why I achieved so little over the weekend, is the fact that I have known for some weeks now that I am going to be a grandfather.

On the weekend I spent most of Saturday conducting SPR (sand-paint-repeat) on a cot, so didn't have time to work on the Crocodile.

Today I learned that this grandchild is to be a grandson!

Which has led me to start looking at my few 1/72 kits in a rather different light ... They may come in handy in a few years, methinks!


OK, time to wander off & have a shower, then go to bed. Work tomorrow.


PS: I have already informed my daughter that I shall be referring to him as "Young Wombat" ... Amusingly, his father's online gaming name is "Kombat Wombat" (not sure that's how he writes it).

[NARSES2]

Many congratulations mate 

[nighthunter]

Congrats, Wombie, on the grandson! When I found out I was going to be a dad, I started stockpiling kid friendly kits, such as the WWToons kits.


As to the LTV(A)-1A, why not just call it a "Salty" lol!

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, gent's!

As to the LTV(A)-1A, why not just call it a "Salty" lol!

Nah, I'll stick with Crocodile ... but the vehicle may end up with "Saltie" as a name!

[Rheged]

Congrats, Wombie, on the grandson! When I found out I was going to be a dad, I started stockpiling kid friendly kits, such as the WWToons kits.

I've got a mini-stash assembled for our grand-daughter whose second birthday was last week.   There's a selection of simple kits of all kinds, from Spitfire to VW Beetle via diesel railcar and Airfix Great Eastern................if her dad doesn't get at them first.   

[Old Wombat]

Phase Four - Turret Completed & in Primer:


Oops, shot that one a tad low!








A bit wonky on that one but I like the "eyes"!





As mentioned elsewhere the .30cal M1919s (co-axial & commander's) are NOT .30cal M1919s but, rather, 7.62mm Mk.21 Mod.0's as per the USN's modification process.

Mk 21 Mod 0

The increasing American involvement in Vietnam created a demand for small arms, especially the new M60 machine gun. The Navy had surplus machine guns left over from World War 2 and Korea, but they were chambered for the earlier .30-06 Springfield cartridge rather than the new standard 7.62mm NATO cartridge. The Mk 21 Mod 0 was a US Navy conversion of the .30 M1919A4 to fire the 7.62mm NATO cartridge. This was accomplished by replacing the barrel, bolt, and feed cover and adding a chamber bushing, a link-stripper, and a second belt-holding pawl to allow it to feed and fire the new cartridge. Spacer blocks were added to the front and back of the feedway to guide the shorter round and block the use of the longer .30-06 Springfield ammunition. A six-inch flash hider was also added to the barrel to reduce the muzzle flash.

The conversions were performed from 1966 through 1967 at Naval Ordnance Station Louisville. Modified M1919A4s had the designation "Machine Gun, 7.62mm / Mk 21 Mod 0" stamped on the receiver sideplate in 1/4-inch lettering. The replacement barrels had "7.62mm NATO-G" stamped on them in 1/8-inch letters to differentiate them from M1919A4 or M60 barrels; the letter G indicated it used a grooved barrel bushing.

It used the standard 7.62mm NATO M13 link "strip-out" disintegrating link, in which the bolt pushes the round out of the bottom of the two-part link and then forwards into the breech. The old M1 link "pull-out" disintegrating links, which are pulled backwards out of the one-piece link by the extractor towards the bolt and then forwards into the breech, would not feed through the new mechanism. The M1 links, which were designed for the longer and thinner .30-06 Springfield, would also be too narrow to fit the shorter and thicker 7.62mm NATO round. The US Navy, because of their narrower inventory of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, used linked belts of either 7.62mm M80 Ball or a 4:1 ratio mix of 7.62mm M80 Ball and 7.62mm M62 Tracer.

The refurbished feed mechanism was left-hand feed only. It was different from the one in the M60 GPMG in that the open end of the belt had to be on top so it could be stripped out. To prepare the ammo, gunners had to take out both of the 100-round belts from an M19A1 ammo can, had to link them both together, and then loaded the resultant 200-round belt back into the M19A1 can upside-down so it would feed correctly.


Mk 21 in Vietnam being fed by an upside-down M-13 link belt (the links are not visible)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1919_Browning_machine_gun

[PR19_Kit]

VEEEEERY impressive so far. 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Kit!

Onto the main hull next!

[NARSES2]

Looking good sir 

Interesting read about the modified m.g. I bet that upside down belt feed caused endless confusion in any tri service setting ? 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Chris!

[Wardukw]

Coming along beautifully Guy..big question is are you sticking with the OTB tracks (which suck by the way) or going after market?
White metal looks much better than plastic lol 🙄😈😒

[Nick]

Isn't the turret going to make it top heavy and liable to turn over in rough waters?

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, but I think that the size/potential weight is O.K.. There were Buffaloes with M8 howitzer turrets, about the same size as this one here. Complete M24 Chaffee turrets were mounted, too.

[Old Wombat]

Isn't the turret going to make it top heavy and liable to turn over in rough waters?

No, I don't think so. Or, at least, no more than any similar LVT variant. However, it may be one reason planners tried not to organise landings in known, statistically, periods of rough weather.


LVT(A)-4s head for the Iwo Jima beach. The LVT(A)-4 was a specialist variant of the LVT based on the LVT-2, with added armor and an open-topped turret mounting a short-barreled 75mm howitzer to provide fire support on the beach. U.S. MARINE CORPS HERITAGE CENTER PHOTO
https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/marine-corps-amphibious-vehicles-iwo-jima/

Yes, but I think that the size/potential weight is O.K.. There were Buffaloes with M8 howitzer turrets, about the same size as this one here. Complete M24 Chaffee turrets were mounted, too.

Coming along beautifully Guy..big question is are you sticking with the OTB tracks (which suck by the way) or going after market?
White metal looks much better than plastic lol 🙄😈😒

Thanks, mate!

Ummm, well, this build will probably use my AFV Club vinyl tracks & my other two LVTs will get AFV Club styrene indy link tracks.

[Nick]

Isn't the turret going to make it top heavy and liable to turn over in rough waters?

No, I don't think so. Or, at least, no more than any similar LVT variant. However, it may be one reason planners tried not to organise landings in known, statistically, periods of rough weather.


LVT(A)-4s head for the Iwo Jima beach. The LVT(A)-4 was a specialist variant of the LVT based on the LVT-2, with added armor and an open-topped turret mounting a short-barreled 75mm howitzer to provide fire support on the beach. U.S. MARINE CORPS HERITAGE CENTER PHOTO
https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/marine-corps-amphibious-vehicles-iwo-jima/

I've never seen those versions of LVT before. Yours should be great when finished.